


the starting place

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: love brings you home [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: AU: Alternate Season 8, AU: Post Season 7, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 10:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15970850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: "Home is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams." - UnknownTwo years Post S7. Detective Kono Kalakaua finally returns home to Hawaii.





	the starting place

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from this quote by Unknown: "Home is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams." The title of the series comes from a quote by author Melissa McClone: "Life takes you to unexpected places; love brings you home." This takes place in a world where Kono's managed to track down everyone involved with the trafficking ring and returns home. Sorry to any Adam/Kono fans; I really wanted to write something Post-Nevada, and, obviously, since I'm still very dedicated to my ship, I had to find a way to explain my way out of that one. Don't worry, though; I don't go out of my way to bad-mouth him, and they didn't get divorced for any ridiculous reasons. Most of the reasons they did can be seen in any movie/TV show where a female cop is married to someone outside the profession, honestly. It's not all that uncommon in the world of Hollywood. 
> 
> I didn't plan on making this so long, but here we are. As always, please feel free to leave feedback, and just remember: it isn't mine! If it was, then Grace and Daniel would still be onscreen.

_Honolulu, Hawaii  
May 2019_

Detective Kono Kalakaua drew in a deep breath as she disembarked her plane and finally set foot back in Hawaii. She smiled slightly at the familiarity of the land around her, of the place she’d left behind many months before. It was good to finally be home.

Much had happened in the two years she’d been absent from her home state. She’d worked tirelessly to take down every single member of the sex trafficking ring she’d first discovered while working with Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and the rest of the Five-O Task Force. It’d taken twenty-three months in total, going back and forth across the country until every participant was either behind bars or beneath a headstone. She’d lost her husband in the process. She’d almost lost her sanity, too. It was finally over, though. She’d been able to return home.

She’d not told many people about her arrival in Hawaii. Her parents were aware, as were her siblings, but she’d not told any of her former coworkers. They still talked constantly, still texted one another on a daily basis. When she’d been working in Carson City and the cases had become too overwhelming, the stories of the girls she was trying so hard to save too tragic, she’d picked up the phone and dialed Steve’s number, leaning upon her former boss for the strength she needed to lead her own team. He’d never once let her down when it came to that, which was one of the many reasons she felt so guilty about not telling him she was returning. There were some things she needed to do by herself, however. Becoming reacquainted with Hawaii was one of them.

She smiled widely as she made her way towards the parking garage after gathering her luggage. Her cousin and his wife awaited her patiently. The two little girls, though not as calm as the adults they’d accompanied, were as excited as Chin and Abby were to see her. She’d barely started walking in their direction when she was required to catch an armful of Sara Malia Diaz-Waincroft. It turned out her cousin’s niece was capable of moving very quickly. She was just glad she managed to get ahold of the kid before she did something embarrassing, like fall flat on her face. After all, she was still growing into those limbs.

“Hey,” Kono laughed as she lifted the little girl slightly off the ground to hug her properly.

“I missed you, Aunt Kono,” Sara said, her little voice muffled slightly by the fabric of Kono’s shirt.

Kono’s heart melted at the words. “Missed you too, Sara,” she said back, squeezing the girl slightly before placing her back on the ground.

Chin shook his head slightly as he walked towards them, his fifteen-month-old daughter balanced carefully on his hip. Olina rested her head on his shoulder, content to simply watch her father’s reunion with the cousin he considered a sister.

“Hey, kid,” Chin greeted as he hugged her with his free arm, careful not to smash the child he held between them. “Glad you’re back. This place missed you.”

“I missed it, too,” Kono admitted as she pulled away, turning slightly to smile at the detective standing at her cousin’s elbow, her finger clasped in Olina’s hand. “Hey, Abby,” she greeted, stepping forward slightly to hug her former coworker. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you, too,” Abby responded as they separated. She took her daughter from Chin’s arms when the small girl began fussing quietly. “It’s only been six weeks since we came back, but it’s obvious Hawaii isn’t the same without you, Kono. Neither is Five-O.”

“Well, I have no plans to leave any time soon,” Kono assured the other woman, allowing Olina to hold onto her thumb as she spoke. “Especially not to go back to Nevada. It’s a desert. Not exactly prime surfing territory.”

“Glad you’ve got your priorities straight,” Chin chuckled quietly, although his words proved genuine. He was as relieved as everyone else in the family that she’d finally decided to come home. In his opinion, her priorities were straight for the first time since she’d left.

It was an argument she’d had time and again with her family since moving to Nevada. They understood why she’d been driven to leave – most of them were law enforcement officers themselves, after all – but they’d not understood why she’d stayed away so long. In their minds, if a job ended a marriage and nearly drove a person mad, then it was probably time to stop doing it. Unfortunately, Kono had never been the kind of cop who could walk away from a tragic case still open. It was one of the qualities she’d developed after spending nearly a decade working alongside a man who strived for the truth as often as he did justice.

“Yeah, I do,” Kono responded after a moment, accepting Olina from Abby’s arms when the toddler reached for her. “Do you know if McGarrett is hiring?” she asked humorously after a moment.

“McGarrett told you the day you called to tell him you’d left that you’d always have a place with his unit, Kono. He hasn’t gone back on his word,” Chin assured her. “I do know for a fact that he doesn’t know your spot’s about to be filled again, though. Why haven’t you told him?”

“I don’t know,” Kono sighed. “You’re all friends with Adam, and I haven’t told him that I’m back yet, and – I don’t know, I just didn’t want to put anyone in an awkward position, that’s all.”

“I haven’t been able to tell anyone you were planning to come back,” Chin pointed out. “And you know that they’re all on your side, Kono. You also know Steve is the last person who would ever judge you for searching so long and hard for the truth. Why didn’t you tell him, at least?”

“I don’t know,” Kono sighed. She did know the answer to the question; she just didn’t know how to explain it to her cousin. Steve was her friend. He was one of her best friends, if she was being honest with herself. He’d saved her life more times than she was able to count. If she could be completely honest with anyone outside of her family without fearing judgement, it was him. And yet she’d still be unable to pick up the phone and call him.

“Well, you might want to figure that out, Kono,” Chin sighed. “Because you’re about to be working for him again, and he’s going to know why you didn’t tell him before you came home.”

Kono knew her cousin was right. That didn’t mean she had to like it. Personally, she liked living in her bubble of ignorant bliss. However, she knew better than anyone she couldn’t remain there forever. It was, after all, only hours away from being popped.

\---

It was early afternoon when Chin was called into work. They’d just finished having lunch at some local hole-in-the-wall both Sara and Olina loved. Instead of going back to the house with Abby and the girls, Kono decided to accompany her cousin to the office. They were all going to find out eventually, after all. What would be the point in putting it off any longer than absolutely necessary?

Steve and Danny were both standing at the table in the conference room when they walked in, their attention entirely on the smartboard in front of them. Lou was there, as well, as was the woman that’d been hired after it became obvious that Steve, Danny, and Grover weren’t going to be able to hold the fort down themselves. From what Chin had told her about Detective Marina Campbell, she’d have no more issues working with the woman than she’d have working with the men she’d known for the better part of the past decade.

No one had taken notice of Chin’s entrance yet, and while Kono was sure Steve was instinctively aware there were more people in the room than there had been before, the lieutenant commander didn’t turn around before asking Campbell something about their suspect’s financials. There weren’t shots being fired; that was enough to tell the naval officer his team wasn’t under attack. He was so caught up in the case before them that that was all that mattered.

“There’s nothing in the financials?” Steve asked incredulously after Campbell answered him, glaring at the smartboard as if it would immediately give him the answers he wanted under a threatening gaze. It didn’t.

“Sorry, McGarrett, but Lee’s financials paint him as something of a saint. He lives off pennies, donates most of his money to charity.” Campbell scoffed when all three men surrounding her eyed her incredulously. “Hey, I’m not saying he actually is a saint. I’m just preparing you for the message the media will send out if you arrest this guy without probable cause or hard evidence. He’s Hawaii’s Bill Gates.”

“We do have probable cause,” Danny argued. “His fingerprints were found in the victim’s home.”

“They were friends,” Campbell shot back. “If we’re going by that logic, then I’d probably be arrested if any of you were ever murdered. Friends spend time at each other’s homes, Williams. It’s a normal thing in the world of civilized human beings.”

Kono smirked slightly at that. It seemed McGarrett had gained an ally in the teasing of his partner. She’d feel sorry for her blond friend if the whole thing wasn’t so amusing.

Steve sighed quietly. “So what you’re saying is that there’s nothing to prove he did it?” he asked tiredly.

“I’m saying there’s nothing _yet_ to prove that he did it,” Campbell corrected immediately. “That lab over at HPD is full of geniuses, McGarrett. He’s not going to get away with this.”

“Eh,” Danny muttered under his breath. “My nephew works there.” He turned around a second later, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the two individuals standing near the entrance. “Well, there’s something else I wasn’t expecting today.” Despite his words, his voice was warm.

Steve spun around at his partner’s words, his eyes growing warm as they met Kono’s. “Hey,” he greeted as he crossed the room, wrapping her in a tight embrace before she could even blink. “Didn’t know you were coming home.” There was something in the way that he said the word that made her feel warmer than she had before.

Kono inhaled deeply as she returned the hug. “Didn’t tell many people,” she told him, her eyes sliding closed for a moment. It took several moments for her to pull away. “Figured I’d do my best to take you by surprise. Never have been able to before.”

Steve chuckled quietly at her explanation. “Well, you succeeded,” he told her, one warm hand falling to her shoulder. “How are you?” She could tell by the way he asked the question that he wanted a genuine answer. Unfortunately, she didn’t exactly feel comfortable giving him one in front of their current audience.

“I’m good,” she reassured him quickly, trying to ignore the spark in his eye that informed her that he knew as well as she did that she was lying through her teeth. “I was with Chin when you called, so I figured I’d stop by, see if there was any way I could help with the case.”

Steve smiled slightly. “You don’t ever really take a breath, do you?” he asked quietly.

Kono smirked. “Are you really asking me that question?” He’d gone back to work with broken bones before. Her being there after landing in Hawaii hours before was not nearly as insane.

The naval officer shrugged. “That’s fair.”

Danny was the next to hug Kono. It didn’t last as long as the one she’d shared with Steve, but it was just as heartfelt. “You really need to send out weekly newsletters,” he informed her as he pulled away.

“I’ll look into it,” Kono laughed as she hugged Grover.

“Good to have you back, Kalakaua,” the Chicago native said warmly as they separated.

“Good to be back,” she responded, following Steve and the others to the table in the center of the room.

Campbell smiled kindly as Kono came to stand beside her. The other brunette extended a hand in her direction. “Marina Campbell. Heard a lot of good things about you.”

“Kono Kalakaua,” Kono returned. “Heard a lot of good things about you, too.”

Danny clapped his hands. “All right. Reunions and introductions are over. Let’s get back to the matter at hand, yes?”

“Yeah,” Steve sighed, gesturing towards the smartboard as he filled in Kono on the case they’d been working for the past twenty-four hours. “Yesterday afternoon, a maid at the Hilton found Tanya Abbott dead in her room. She was a law student on the mainland, studied at the University of Virginia. She was here in Honolulu to meet her sister’s newborn daughter.”

Kono drew in a deep breath and shook her head. “And the suspect?”

“Jameson Lee,” Steve said bitterly. “Renowned philanthropist here in Hawaii. Tanya was a local girl. They were involved several years back, had a pretty public breakup.”

“’Public’ means ‘bad,’ I’m assuming?” Kono asked, her focus on the smartboard. When Steve nodded, she turned to Campbell. “I thought you said they were friends?”

“Publicly, they were. It saved face,” Campbell told her. “Privately…” The detective trailed off, then admitted, “We don’t know. Not many people would know about their private relationship, and those that would seem to be honoring some unspoken code of silence.”

“They’re protecting him, you mean.” Kono scoffed when Campbell nodded. “Unbelievable.”

“It is,” Campbell agreed. “But this is the twenty-first century. Money talks, and Lee has more of it than this poor girl ever did, no matter how good of a family she came from.”

Kono exhaled. “All right. Other than the fingerprints, is there anything to tie him to this?”

Danny shook his head. “Tanya’s sister said she’d been getting calls the past few days that made her uncomfortable. Unfortunately, she refused to tell her who they were from, and he was smart enough to remove her phone from the crime scene before we got there. We’re still waiting for the phone company to get back to us with her records for the past few months.”

“She might not have told her sister, but she told somebody,” Kono muttered as she stared intently at the smartboard in front of them. “You said she was studying law at the University of Virginia, right? There anybody there we might be able to get ahold of, someone who might know more than her family about what went on between her and this Lee character?”

Steve nodded. “We’ve got a call into her counselor and the Dean of Students there,” he assured her. “They’ll get back to us if they find anything.”

“Good,” Kono sighed in relief.

Danny smiled at her. “Right back on the horse, huh?” he asked, shaking his head when she looked sheepish. “Don’t. I’m glad to see it.” He winked, causing her to smile. She’d not realized how much she’d missed being surrounded by her friends until that exact moment.

Steve dismissed them to do their own digging until the people they’d requested information from filled them in. Before Kono could turn away, however, he reached out to gently grab her wrist, the grip of his fingers warm against her skin.

“Something I need to give you before I send you back out there,” he said seriously, guiding her towards his office with a hand on the small of her back. Once they were there, she made herself comfortable in the closest chair while he searched in one of his desk drawers. After a few moments, he stood back up, her badge resting in his right palm.

She smiled slightly. “Boss,” she began. Steve shook his head before she could continue.

“I’ve had this thing in that drawer since the night you left,” he informed her quietly. “It’ll be good to know it’s back where it belongs.” He set the badge down on the desk in front of her. “Go on,” he encouraged. “It’s yours again. Always was, even when you weren’t around to wear it.”

Kono picked it up, the metal cool against her fingers as she turned it over in her hands. “I’m sorry I left without warning,” she said, feeling as if a weight had been removed from her chest once the words were out.

Steve chuckled wryly. “You were called upon by something bigger than all of us to put away monsters, Kono. I’m the last person on this planet who could possibly judge you for answering that call. It’s what I’ve done my entire life.”

Kono smiled slightly. “Guess that’s true.” She stood to fasten the badge to the waistband of her jeans.

Steve stared at her for a moment as she sat back down. “Why didn’t you call?” he finally asked. “Before you came back, I mean?”

“I don’t know,” Kono replied honestly. “I’ve been telling myself it was because of Adam, everyone’s friendship with him…”

“Kono, we were all on your side when it came to the divorce,” Steve interrupted. “You were doing your job, your duty. He’s the one who decided it wasn’t worth the wait.”

“I know,” Kono replied. “But it wasn’t really about that, Steve.” She shrugged when his eyes remained on her. “I’ve been away for two years, you know? It’s a long time to be gone, especially in this line of work. And I just… I wasn’t sure of how everyone would react when I came back, that’s all. So, I figured I’d surprise everyone. Just seemed easier.”

“You shouldn’t have worried about that, Kono.” Steve smiled fondly at her. “We’re all glad you’re back. You’ve got to know that. It wasn’t the same, doing this work without you.”

Kono nodded once. “I know the feeling. Working that job with people I was never sure had my back…” She shook her head. “It wasn’t the best feeling in the world. That’s half the reason I called so often.”

Steve smiled. “Well, we were never upset to hear from you.”

Kono was about to respond when Campbell knocked on the door and then stuck her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, but Fong just called. They’ve got something to help build a case against Lee. Something about DNA evidence. I don’t know, he was talking very quickly and excitedly.”

“All right,” Steve replied, standing from his seat. “Danny and Chin headed out to talk to Tanya’s sister again, so…” He turned to Kono. “What do you say, Kalakaua? Want to trek down to the lab with me now that you’ve got that thing back?”

Kono smiled. “I’d love to,” she responded genuinely.

She’d never truly doubted it’d been the wrong decision to return home after all she’d seen, but when Steve’s hand fell to the small of her back and he guided her carefully from the room, talking to her all the while, she knew for sure. She was back home, and home was exactly where she belonged.


End file.
